Screen printing vs DTG vs DTF: which is best for custom t-shirts?
Screen printing is best for larger runs of a simple, few-colour design; DTG (direct-to-garment) is best for detailed, full-colour designs in small quantities; and DTF (direct-to-film) works across almost any fabric and colour. Picking the right method comes down to your design, your quantity and the garment.
Screen printing
Ink is pushed through a stencil (one screen per colour) onto the shirt. It is hard-wearing, the colours are punchy, and it gets cheaper per shirt the more you print — because the setup cost is spread across the run. Best for bold logos and bigger orders; less economical for one-offs or photo-detailed art.
The reason it rewards volume is the screens. Each colour in your artwork needs its own screen burned and aligned before a single shirt is printed. That setup is a fixed cost, so a run of five shirts carries the same preparation as a run of two hundred — the two hundred just share it out. A two-colour logo across a footy team, a cafe’s staff shirts or a market stall’s merch is exactly where screen printing pulls ahead. The ink also sits into the fabric and, once cured properly, survives years of washing without looking tired.
DTG (direct-to-garment)
A specialised printer lays full-colour artwork straight onto the fabric, like an inkjet for shirts. There is no per-colour setup, so it is ideal for detailed or photographic designs and small quantities — even a single shirt. It shines on 100% cotton.
Because there are no screens to burn, DTG has no real economy of scale — the tenth shirt costs about what the first did. That is a strength for small jobs and a weakness for big ones. It handles gradients, fine detail and photo-realistic art that would need a dozen screens, and it does it on a single garment with no minimum. The catch is fabric: DTG bonds best with cotton, and colours can look muted on dark blends unless a white underbase is laid down first.
DTF (direct-to-film)
The design is printed onto a film, then heat-pressed onto the garment. It is bright, durable, and works on a huge range of fabrics and colours — including polyester and blends where DTG struggles — with no minimum.
DTF has become the all-rounder. Because the print is made on film first and then transferred, it does not care much what the garment underneath is made of — polyester sports jerseys, tote bags, caps, hi-vis and cotton tees all take it. Colours stay bright on dark fabric without fuss, and small quantities are no problem. The transfer sits on top of the fabric rather than soaking in, so on a very soft tee you can sometimes feel the print, but durability through the wash is excellent when it is pressed correctly.
How to choose
Start with the two questions that decide most jobs: how many are you printing, and how detailed is the art? A simple design in bigger numbers points to screen printing. A detailed or photographic design in small numbers points to DTG. An awkward fabric, a bright design on dark cloth, or a mix of garment types points to DTF. If you are printing on a hoodie or a blend, DTF or screen printing usually beats DTG.
- Bold logo, bigger run, best value: screen printing.
- Detailed or full-colour, small run: DTG.
- Mixed fabrics, bright colours, any quantity: DTF.
Common mistakes to avoid
The most frequent one is choosing DTG for a big single-colour team order — you lose the volume saving that screen printing would give you. The second is supplying a small, low-resolution image for a detailed DTG or DTF print; the method can reproduce fine detail, but only if the artwork has it to begin with. Vector logos (AI, EPS or PDF) are ideal because they stay sharp at any size. The third is forgetting the garment: a print that looks perfect on a white cotton tee can shift on a dark polyester one, so tell us the fabric and colour when you brief the job.
Frequently asked questions
Which method lasts the longest?
All three last for years when they are done right. Properly cured screen printing is the benchmark for durability, and good DTF and DTG hold up well over many washes. Care matters more than method — see our guide on t-shirt printing and washing.
Is there a minimum order?
DTG and DTF have no real minimum, so we can print a single shirt. Screen printing works from small runs up, but only becomes the best value once the quantity climbs enough to spread the setup.
Can you match my exact brand colours?
Screen printing mixes inks to a set colour, so it is the most precise for a specific brand shade. DTG and DTF get very close and are better for full-colour art where an exact single-colour match matters less.
Which is best for a soft, barely-there feel?
DTG feels the softest because the ink soaks into the cotton. A fine water-based screen print is close behind. Standard DTF sits on top of the fabric, so it has a little more hand-feel.
Not sure which fits your job? Send your design and quantity and we will recommend one. See our custom t-shirt printing or get a quote.
